Observation of dystocia in wild elk

Authors

Chad P. Lehman, South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks, Custer, SDFollow
Lowell E. Schmitz, South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks, Rapid City, SDFollow
Mark A. Rumble, USDA Forest Service, Rapid City, SDFollow
Jackie J. Kragel, South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks, Custer, SDFollow
Joshua J. Millspaugh, University of Missouri, Columbia, MOFollow

Abstract

On the basis of reports in the literature, incidence of dystocia in wild elk (Cervus elaphus) across the west is rare. In 2011, one of 34 (3%) pregnant cow elk in our study experienced dystocia during birth. Our visual observations indicated that it took approximately 4 days for a radio-collared cow elk to succumb to dystocia in our study. Little is known about dystocia in wild elk populations, and our observation provides some insight about fetal malpresentations.


Con base en los reportes en la literatura, en el occidente no es muy frecuente la incidencia de distocia en el ciervo rojo (Cervus elaphus). En 2011, 1 de cada 34 (3%) hembras preñadas en nuestro estudio experimentó distocia al momento de parir. Nuestras observaciones visuales indican que durante nuestro estudio pasaron aproximadamente 4 días para que una hembra preñada con un collar de telemetría sucumbiera a la distocia. Se conoce muy poco sobre la distocia en las poblaciones de ciervos rojos, y nuestra observación proporciona información sobre la mala presentación fetal.

Recommended Citation

Lehman, Chad P.; Schmitz, Lowell E.; Rumble, Mark A.; Kragel, Jackie J.; and Millspaugh, Joshua J. (2012) "Observation of dystocia in wild elk," Western North American Naturalist: Vol. 72: No. 2, Article 14.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan/vol72/iss2/14